Climbing device



l. C. POETZ.

CLIMBING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 19m.

- 1,328,251. 7 Patented Jan. 13,1920.

INVENTOR.

- jfioRNE YS.

Urn

JOHN C. POETZ, OF WENATCHEE, WASHINGTON.

CLIMBING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. gPaptented Jan, 13, 1920. Substitutefor application Serial Nose-s40, filed May 10, 191s. This applicationfiled, May 31,1918. Serial To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN C. POETZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wenatchee, in the county of Chelan and "State of Washington,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Climbing Devices, of whichthe following is a speclflcaclimbing devices, by which a person may riseor lower himself'by successive steps to,

or from the height to which the upri ht to be climbed is constructed,and the o bjects of my invention are to provide simple and efficientmeans, in lieu of the rungs or steps of the ordinary ladder, by whichsuch rais ing and lowering may be performed, and the extent thereofdetermined by the operaator, thereby simplifying and lightening theconstruction of the device, making it more portable and convenient, andat the same time, enlarging the scope of its use. f

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which: I

Figure 1 is an elevation at A-A, and a section at BB, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of my device.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a rod, preferably of steel and H-shapedin cross section. Mounted upon the oppositely disposed flanges 2 and 2of the rod 1 are the blocks 8 and 3, so constructed as to permit ofadjustment to slide freely upon or to bind upon the rod 1 topreventmovement.

Attached transversely to blocks 3 and 3" are preferably oppositelydisposed footrests' 4: and 4, provided with curved pro-. jections 5 and5, by means of which the blocks 3 and 3 are changed from a sliding orholding position to a holding or sliding position. The blocks 3 and 8are constructed so as to slide freely upon the flanges 2 and 2, in thisinstance in the form of a channel bar, the flanges 6 and 6 of which arewider than the thickness of the flanges 2 and 2. To the lower ends ofthe flanges 6 and 6 rectangular lugs 7 and 7 are attached, the innersurfaces of which are spaced from the inner surfaces of the blocks 3 and3 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the flanges 2 and 2,so

the'details of construction of the flanges and blocks may be changed,and still retain their essential features. i i

The operation of my climbing device is very simple. The weight ofthefoot-rests- 4L and 4' alone is sufiicient to hold the blocks 3 and 3at any point upon the .rod 1, and the greater the weight placed upon thefoot rests 4 and 4' the more firmly theblocks 3 and 3 are bound upontheflanges 2 and 2.

A. person using my device 'stepsupon the foot-rests 1 and 1, and raisesone foot upward and inward against the guard-5 or 5,

thereby bringing the inner surface ofthe blocks 3 or 3 parallel with thesurface of the flanges 2 or 2', releasing the binding edges 8 and 8andpermitting of the block being moved upward or downward on the flange.The other block is then similarly released and moved upward or downward,

and so on. By the use of the double sliding track, the feet may be movedpast each other without restraint, as is usual in ordi-, nary climbing.

Having thus Icl'aimis: i

1. A climbing device of the character described comprising incombination an H- described my invention,what

Shaped rod in cross-section, channel blocks mounted upon the flanges ofsaid H-shaped 'rod for permitting of adjustment to slide freely and bindupon said rod, foot rests transversely attached to said blocks, curved:

projections on said foot rests allowlng a changing of the blocks from asliding or a binding position or vice versa, and rectangular lugsadjacent the; lower end of the flanges of the blocks, havingtheir innersurfacesspaced fromjthe inner surfaces of said blocks for a distanceslightly greater than the thickness of said H-shaped rod flanges, saidlugs and blocks binding with their inner edges upon the flanges of theH-shaped rod if pressure is exerted on said sliding.

2. In combination with a rod of H-section,

foot rests for preventing the blocks from flanges of the rod, each blockhaving a pair of opposing lugs extending inwardly from its lower edgeand across the inner face of the supporting flange toward the web oftherod, the sides of one channel block having .1

their upright edges formed on a bias so as to diverge upwardly relativeto the opposing edges of the companion block.

3. In combination with a rod of H-section, of foot supporting meansincluding a channel block straddling one flange of the rod and havingopposing lugs extending inwardly over the inner face of said flangetoward the web of the rod, saidlugs being disposed adjacent the loweredge of the channel block, the latter extending up alongside the outerface and edges of the flange above the lugs to guide the channel block.

a. In combination with a rod of H-section,

the supporting flange toward the web of the rod, outwardly extendingbrackets secured to the lower portions of the blocks, ioot rests securedto the brackets,'and means located on the inner side of each foot restbeneath which the foot is engageable.

JOHNC. POETZ. Witnesses:

G. J; BOWMAN J. O. POETZ, Jr.

